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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to click
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the sport

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