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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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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 · toast · mate · race · staff · rest

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mate — a partner
  10. race — humankind
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — the fruit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend

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