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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: wake · track · roll · chair · wave · snap · bulb · degree

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a song
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. roll — a list
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to click
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. track — a path
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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