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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — clothes
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — a face
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — to rob
  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