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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a song
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — decided
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — help
  19. firm — a company
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — employees

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