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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: rest · last · date · wake · fine · temple · racket · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — there
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — all right
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — a gift
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — finally
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — final
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. last — to go on
  24. date — on the calendar

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