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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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 bank
  3. date — the fruit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — to rip
  12. object — an aim
  13. row — a line
  14. object — a thing
  15. mug — a face
  16. object — to protest
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — a division

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