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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Word bank: squash · chip · bear · last · bark · row · cabinet · plane

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — to crush

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