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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
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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: object · jam · shower · wave · spring · pound · stand · branch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. shower — to wash
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — the season
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — of water
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. object — a thing
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — a division
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — an aim

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