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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: club · coach · date · bound · last · stick · rest · kick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — finally
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — tied together
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for dancing
  21. last — to go on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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