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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 · roll · band · stick · hide · lash · cue · squash

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a song
  4. roll — a list
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a path
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — to keep track

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