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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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. jam — a tight spot
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — a division
  24. stock — shares

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