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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · rush · rest · track · game · mate

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — to keep track
  3. game — a match
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a path
  10. object — to protest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — a thing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend

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