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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · branch · pop · clip · stand · land · temple · jam

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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 — to spread on bread
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. land — a country
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — soda
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — a video
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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