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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: track · drill · file · pop · mug · rest · rush · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — soda
  6. drill — army training
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pop — to visit
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a tool
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — the tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — music
  24. rush — hurry

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