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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: wave · bowl · track · bulb · chip · wound · branch · mark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — to keep track
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. track — a song
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a tree
  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