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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: plane · perch · row · lean · branch · ball · cabinet · firm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a dance
  9. firm — decided
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — steady
  12. branch — a division
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. perch — for a bird

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