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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: branch · stand · cold · lean · spring · jam · swing · hide

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cold — not warm
  11. branch — a division
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lean — thin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. swing — to play on

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