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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: lie · coach · patient · spell · squash · spring · scale · date

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — to crush
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. squash — the sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — the season
  15. date — the fruit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. patient — a sick person

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