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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
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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: branch · row · straw · saw · swing · present · mark · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. present — there
  8. swing — in golf
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — a division
  16. row — a line
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. row — to paddle
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — in control
  22. mark — a trace
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a bank

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