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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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 — to lash out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — ground
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bank — of a river
  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