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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: rule · mate · rest · toast · kick · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — in football
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — a break

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