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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: rush · drill · nail · rest · wake · track · suit · last

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — final
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — a break
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. last — to go on
  18. track — a song
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — finally
  24. rush — hurry

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