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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: date · wake · cabinet · foot · bay · rash · roll · arm

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — hasty
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. roll — a list

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