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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 · straw · bear · branch · wake · pit · stem · mate

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — in a race
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — to come from
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mate — a friend
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — 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