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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: jam · mark · branch · club · lie · wake · season · hand

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — of the year
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the body

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