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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: cue · rest · rush · content · rash · march · track · face

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a song
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. march — the month
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cue — a signal
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. rush — to 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