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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.

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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 · mark · wake · cold · cue · fall · track · pass

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — a song
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a trace
  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