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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: mouse · bay · cue · track · dip · lash · cell · fall

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — in a prison

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