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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: scale · spell · date · rush · cabinet · dip · bat · patient

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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