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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: bank · bat · bay · calf · prune · lash · cell · board

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — a committee
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — of the leg

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