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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: stem · calf · wake · toast · branch · arm · stick · straw

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. branch — a division
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. calf — of the leg

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