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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: wind · board · field · bay · stand · calf · branch · spring

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stand — to bear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — of water
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. branch — a division
  18. spring — a coil
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stand — for spectators

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