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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
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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: row · branch · pass · straw · mate · plane · wound · clip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. clip — a video
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a friend
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. clip — for paper

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