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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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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: lash · straw · track · lie · rule · wake · board · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — to get on
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — for pool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a path
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rule — to rule out

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