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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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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: tear · present · spring · snap · branch · wave · jam · nail

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. present — a gift
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — there
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spring — the season
  24. tear — from crying

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