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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · cap · branch · rush · bass · wind · jam · snap

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wind — moving air
  5. branch — a division
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — after costs
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cap — a lid

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