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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rock — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — a subject
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — a practice

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