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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.

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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 · bear · jam · wind · firm · calf · branch · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. firm — steady
  10. branch — a division
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — in biology

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