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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. swing — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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