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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: row · roll · lean · branch · game · straw · present · date

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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 bank
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. row — a line
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — a match
  7. branch — a division
  8. present — a gift
  9. date — the fruit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. roll — a list
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — to bend
  24. straw — a straw man

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