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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: can · date · kid · wound · bank · toast · game · rest

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — the fruit
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — child
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — wild animals
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — a break
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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