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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: branch · hide · stem · trunk · snap · wake · date · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. date — the fruit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stem — to come from
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wake — before a funeral

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