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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: band · mine · row · racket · saw · file · branch · present

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a document
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a ring
  18. present — a gift
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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