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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 · lie · mark · key · cabinet · drill · sharp · track

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rest — what's left
  9. key — for a lock
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a grade

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