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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: wake · mark · mate · leaves · fork · arm · rash · squash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — in a road

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