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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · safe · straw · leaves · cue · lash · bass · kick

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — low music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cue — for pool
  8. kick — in football
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — to keep track
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — of a tree

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