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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: wave · row · branch · bark · roll · mark · can · swing

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — a trace
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. swing — music
  9. row — a line
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. roll — a list
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — to shout
  22. branch — a division
  23. roll — on a roll
  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