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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · squash · bear · mark · scale · patient · date · lean

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a grade
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bear — to put up with

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