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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.

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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: branch · wave · wound · straw · ball · lie · rush · stand

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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