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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: jam · rule · branch · dip · object · face · rash · sharp

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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