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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
468
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: hide · track · mouse · arm · cue · trunk · clip · roll

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — a hint
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cue — a signal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. clip — for paper

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