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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 120 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: bowl · dip · present · stand · branch · suit · patient · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — a division
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. present — there
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. dip — to sink
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — the time now
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — to fit

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