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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: jam · bark · deal · fork · wave · bank · date · fall

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — to shout
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — of the sea

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