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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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Word bank
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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: field · stand · branch · fan · trunk · mate · last · arm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — a friend
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mate — a partner
  16. field — a subject
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. last — final

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