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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 116 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
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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: clip · track · game · lie · last · cue · lash · calf

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — a song
  3. last — to go on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. last — finally
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. clip — a video
  19. last — final
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — wild animals

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