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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — a loud noise

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