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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 120 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: mate · squash · rash · foot · fork · fine · chest · rest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fine — high quality

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