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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: mouse · foot · snap · bowl · rash · fork · date · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — the fruit

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