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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 124 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: calf · coach · pass · mouse · branch · straw · field · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — the animal

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