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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: branch · root · wave · lash · calf · hand · spring · track

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spring — the season
  19. hand — help
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. track — a path

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