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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: stick · wave · kick · coach · tear · date · rest · pitch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rest — a break
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — to rip
  24. kick — with a leg

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