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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 · coach · rest · press · tear · drill · mouse · nail

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — newspapers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tear — to rip
  14. drill — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — to push
  22. track — a song
  23. tear — from crying
  24. drill — a practice

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