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

Word bank: temple · rock · fall · branch · snap · jam · sharp · rush

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — hurry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — a division
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to click
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fall — the season
  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