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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. shower — rain
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — of water
  12. shower — to wash
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. spring — the season
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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