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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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Word bank
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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: rock · lash · rush · march · hand · key · bay · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — in music
  18. march — the month
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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