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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: season · dip · wave · branch · march · object · roll · saw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — a list
  11. dip — to sink
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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