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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
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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: track · nail · mate · rush · march · stick · rock · rest

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. march — music
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — to breed
  16. march — the month
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — on a finger
  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