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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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