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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: rest · rash · date · sharp · march · stand · rush · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — to bear
  6. march — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — the month
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. sharp — clever

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