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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 120 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: ball · bore · rush · stick · rest · game · track · drill

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a song
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a path
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — a kind of play

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