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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. content — the amount
  4. spring — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — final
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — to go on
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — happy
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pass — to spend time

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