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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: dip · rash · branch · toast · fall · jam · row · pound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. dip — to sink
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — in traffic

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