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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 · snap · capital · rush · jam · bay · clip · saw

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — a division
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. clip — to cut
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. clip — a video
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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