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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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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 · rest · stand · branch · bound · root · staff · lie

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. root — the cause
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — an untruth

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