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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: date · dip · rash · capital · band · squash · bound · rest

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a ring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a music group
  13. rest — a break
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. capital — money
  17. bound — tied together
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to sink
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — obliged
  24. date — the fruit

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