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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: mug · staff · lash · march · prune · track · cue · spell

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a hint
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — a short time
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — to rob

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