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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: bore · branch · squash · wake · last · degree · safe · bulb

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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