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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. object — an aim
  9. rush — hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — to play on
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — music

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