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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: straw · wake · scale · cabinet · toast · dip · date · last

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — to go on
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — in music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — size or range
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — a straw man

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