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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: spring · mark · wind · pass · dip · jam · sharp · branch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. sharp — clever
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — to pay attention

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