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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: calf · mate · straw · perch · stem · branch · ground · race

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — a division
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — humankind

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