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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.

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: rush · plane · chest · rash · fork · foot · key · roll

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — a series
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — an aircraft

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