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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: date · kid · scale · object · lash · pass · saw · rock

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. object — an aim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. kid — child
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — a stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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