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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: track · bear · spell · wave · field · branch · kick · pop

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — magic
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spell — a short time
  6. field — a subject
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — letters
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — a division
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pop — music

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