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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: track · roll · cue · hide · hand · wake · band · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. roll — a list
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — a hint
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — to keep track

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