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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: branch · stock · row · craft · clip · board · present · lean

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — a committee
  6. clip — for paper
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. branch — a division
  17. row — a line
  18. clip — a video
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — a gift
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — there

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