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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 · cue · branch · lash · spell · chip · bay · cap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spell — letters
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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