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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: straw · season · scale · present · patient · stand · squash · branch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — a division
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. present — there
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — to bear
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — a gift
  24. branch — of a bank

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