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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 · last · track · rash · lean · perch · field · fall

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. field — for sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — farmland

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