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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: rock · bowl · jam · hide · branch · squash · pound · fall

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — the sport
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. branch — of a tree

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