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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: rest · track · stand · spell · race · rule

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rest — a break
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — humankind
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — magic
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rule — government

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