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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. cell — in biology
  5. object — a thing
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ball — a great time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. object — to protest
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spell — magic

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