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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: chip · wound · branch · bulb · content · mouse · craft · wake

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — happy
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — videos and posts

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