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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: jam · branch · clip · object · spell · key · spring · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. clip — for paper
  3. object — to protest
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. key — the most important part
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. clip — to cut
  12. spring — of water
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — magic
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — an aim
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — to be able to

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