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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
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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: stand · mouse · ground · trunk · date · snap · branch · jam

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — to bear
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — a position
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ground — crushed
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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