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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: rush · toast · stick · present · rest · hide · lie · track

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. present — there
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — the time now
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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