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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: plane · track · mate · foot · chest · suit · rash · squash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — in cards
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. track — a path
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — a tool

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