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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: stick · rush · degree · last · toast · wake · chip · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — from a university
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. degree — an amount
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. last — finally
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — final
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — to hurry

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