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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: cabinet · patient · squash · chip · date · lash · wake · staff

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chip — to eat

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