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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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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: rash · branch · mark · squash · track · wave · spring · bay

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rash — a series
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a path
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — with your hand

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