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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: roll · row · file · leaves · fork · wake · bank · branch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. row — to paddle
  5. roll — a cake
  6. row — a line
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — a division
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — lets stay

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