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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · key · straw · mug · lash · branch · cabinet · calf

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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