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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 · arm · kick · rush · tube · stand · land · mark

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tube — the underground
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — a container
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — ground
  24. arm — part of the body

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