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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: racket · wave · mark · branch · bat · bulb · shower · wake

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — of the sea

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