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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: fan · pass · rest · tear · lean · track · spell · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rest — a break
  24. lean — thin

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