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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 · nail · snap · roll · drill · present · lean · track

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — a break
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. lean — thin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — there
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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