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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: jam · squash · rash · bay · bore · face · date · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to tire
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — a series
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fork — in a road
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — to crush
  24. face — part of the head

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