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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: bay · nail · pass · field · stick · hide · bear · lash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. field — for sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. nail — on a finger

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