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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 120 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: spell · wake · plane · mate · rash · squash · fork · calf

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rash — hasty
  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