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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: stem · lie · sharp · mine · date · patient · racket · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lie — to recline
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. date — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — ministers

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