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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
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: squash · rock · plane · toast · mouse · file · hand · capital

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. capital — money
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. toast — bread
  8. rock — music
  9. file — a document
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. squash — the sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. capital — a city
  24. squash — to crush

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