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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 · last · rest · lie · chest · rash · bound · mug

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — a break
  12. last — to go on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — final
  16. chest — a box
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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