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

Word bank: lash · bay · cell · ruler · present · wound

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. present — a gift
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — a phone
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — there
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wound — an injury

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