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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · wave · spring · degree · calf · saw · stick

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wake — a trail
  17. degree — from a university
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. calf — of the leg
  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