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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: clip · dip · season · branch · bowl · jam · firm · wave

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. branch — a division
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. clip — for paper
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — in sport

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