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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: branch · temple · hand · nail · capital · fall · key · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — money
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fall — the season
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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