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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: plane · wake · mate · roll · squash · bank · toast · chip

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — a partner
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — bread
  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