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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: stem · patient · cabinet · march · bowl · bay · date · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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