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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: lie · patient · roll · mark · fine · rash · squash · date

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. roll — a cake
  8. squash — the sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — to crush
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. roll — a list
  24. rash — a series

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