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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: lean · bass · charge · stick · row · rock · branch · plane

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — electricity
  22. plane — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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