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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
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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: mouse · mug · bay · track · rash · can · rule · clip

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — a law
  11. rash — a series
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — a face
  14. clip — to cut
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. clip — a video
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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