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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: stock · fan · cold · branch · shower · calf · bowl · stand

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — an illness
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — goods
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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