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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 120 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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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: saw · lash · drill · suit · last · track · rest · spring

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — to keep track
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. last — final
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — to go on

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