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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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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: chest · squash · jam · fall · lie · ruler · fork · plane

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chest — a box
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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