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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: swing · jam · track · date · temple · toast · lash · branch

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. swing — in golf
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. temple — side of the head

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