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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 120 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: wave · stand · branch · field · leaves · safe · staff · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. staff — a stick
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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