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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: track · march · bore · mug · fall · date · rest · root

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — a path
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — a face
  6. track — a song
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to drill
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a word
  24. bore — to tire

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