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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 120 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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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: branch · track · present · stick · chair · wound · row · ruler

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — a leader
  4. row — a line
  5. present — there
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. track — a path
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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