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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: stem · branch · fine · bowl · mate · wave · staff · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — all right
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — of a tree

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