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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · straw · ball · craft · clip · branch · net · wave

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. clip — a video
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — a division
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — to cut
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com