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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · stick · chair · suit · branch · object · wound · stand

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chair — a leader
  10. suit — to fit
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — a division
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — of water
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — a coil

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