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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · can · clip · fall · jam · branch · cabinet · rush

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. clip — to cut
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — hurry
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — the season
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fall — to drop
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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