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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 · snap · cue · stand · wind · staff · calf · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  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