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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 · chest · staff · straw · coach · ruler · fork · branch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — a box
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. staff — employees

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