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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: stand · firm · dip · branch · present · snap · arm · wake

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — steady
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. firm — a company
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. present — the time now
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. branch — of a tree

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