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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: date · suit · wake · can · scale · hide · leaves · rash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — in music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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