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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: rash · jam · branch · firm · sharp · race · wave · prune

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. race — humankind
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — the arms race
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — a division
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — decided
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. firm — a company
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rash — a series
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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