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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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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: jam · bulb · saw · wave · field · branch · safe · mark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — farmland
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. field — a subject

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