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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: last · rock · date · saw · club · rest · mate · sharp

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — a group
  9. rest — a break
  10. club — for dancing
  11. last — finally
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. club — for golf
  16. mate — a friend
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rest — what's left

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