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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a face
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — a break
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. field — a subject
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — farmland
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — to keep track

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