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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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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: lash · cue · stick · cap · saw · fall · mouse · pop

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a signal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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