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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: bank · saw · date · spell · jam · arm · dip · rash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — a short time
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. date — the fruit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — magic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — letters
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — a series
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — a sauce

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