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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: calf · rash · fork · plane · squash · row · branch · wax

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — a tool

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