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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 · trunk · rule · wave · bark · bay · pass · drill

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. rule — government
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — a permit

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