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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 · bear · cabinet · lean · rash · fine · rock · sharp

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to bend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — high quality
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lean — to rest against

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