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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: branch · jam · bay · dip · snap · chest · bulb · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. dip — to sink
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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