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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 120 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: cue · foot · bay · mark · track · pop · lie · kid

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kid — child
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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