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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: fan · land · stand · pit · wound · calf · branch · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — a division
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. land — a country
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. calf — a young animal
  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