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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: snap · leaves · capital · straw · perch · jam · pass · branch

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in 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 click
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — a division
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. capital — a city
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pass — a permit
  22. capital — money
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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