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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — a box
  18. lean — thin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pass — to spend time

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