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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: fork · rash · spell · sharp · rest · squash · perch · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — a break
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rest — what's left
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spell — letters
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rash — on the skin

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