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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: leaves · branch · row · march · stem · drill · bay · clip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. drill — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — a practice
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. clip — to cut
  24. row — a line

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