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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: wind · branch · hide · fine · bowl · track · bulb · pass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. track — a song

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