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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: branch · calf · stem · stand · cold · cue · chair · wake

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — a division
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — for pool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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