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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: pop · track · rock · mug · wake · rest · temple · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — a break
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — music
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — to go on
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — music
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wake — before a funeral

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