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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
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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: rush · fork · object · toast · face · row · squash · march

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. row — a line
  5. object — to protest
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to confront
  11. march — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. face — to point toward
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. march — the month

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