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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: dip · cabinet · drill · lean · rash · scale · craft · safe

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rash — a series
  18. drill — army training
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. craft — a skill

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