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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: rest · rash · patient · lean · pop · craft · date · toast

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — a series
  7. craft — boats
  8. rash — hasty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lean — thin
  14. date — the fruit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — bread
  19. pop — to visit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pop — soda

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