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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: straw · date · court · temple · present · rush · rest · wave

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. present — a gift
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — there
  24. court — of law

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