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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · rest · staff · mate · drill · mouse · track · hide

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — a break
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — to keep track
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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