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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. temple — side of the head
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a city
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. snap — to click
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  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