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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: season · branch · firm · rash · temple · jam · wave · dip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — a division
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — steady
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. season — in sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — decided
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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