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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: mouse · kid · stem · cap · pop · track · lie · rash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stem — to come from
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — soda
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — a series
  24. kid — child

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