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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 120 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: safe · bat · file · lash · bark · pass

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — to shout
  14. file — a document
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lash — an eyelash

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