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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: wind · temple · bay · jam · snap · object · branch · straw

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wind — moving air
  3. object — to protest
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to click
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — a thing
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — an aim
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. straw — dry grass

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