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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — thin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. jam — in traffic

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