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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: rash · scale · date · wake · rock · cabinet · lash · plane

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rock — a stone
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lash — an eyelash

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