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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: rash · temple · row · plane · toast · fork · chip · squash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. row — a line
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. toast — bread
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rash — a series
  24. squash — the vegetable

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