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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: track · craft · mug · lash · wake · straw · scale · cue

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. track — a song
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — boats
  14. scale — size or range
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. scale — in music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a face

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