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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
468
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: lean · perch · squash · toast · bass · branch · band · row

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to bend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. toast — bread
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. band — a ring
  23. bass — low music
  24. band — a rubber band

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