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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: last · lie · staff · rest · track · pop · fall · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. last — final
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fall — the season
  8. pop — soda
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — to go on
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — a song
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. track — a path

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