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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: cabinet · firm · wake · row · suit · plane · branch · pitcher

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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