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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — temperature
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. row — to paddle
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. field — farmland
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — a tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — a division
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stem — to come from
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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