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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: dip · tear · jam · bass · row · wind · bank · track

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. track — a song
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bank — for money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. row — to paddle
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tear — to rip
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — a path
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bass — low music
  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