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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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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: saw · row · lean · date · bank · pop · firm · branch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. firm — decided
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — a division
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pop — soda
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — the fruit

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