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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: can · straw · deal · field · staff · branch · lean · stem

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. field — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — farmland
  8. can — a tin
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. field — a subject
  23. staff — employees
  24. stem — to come from

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