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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: rest · date · wave · sharp · wound · fan · stand · stick

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — to cool the air

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