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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: drill · sharp · rest · toast · hand · cap · track · rush

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. drill — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. toast — bread
  12. drill — army training
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — a thrill

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