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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: straw · dip · pitch · branch · bore · wake · wind · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. dip — to sink
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitch — completely
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. dip — to dunk

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