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

Word bank: lash · last · wake · stand · rest · mine · mark · bay

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — final
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — a grade

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