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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: squash · jam · wave · bank · rule · stick · row · object

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. row — to paddle
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. object — an aim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — to protest
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bank — of a river
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — government
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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