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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: arm · cue · bay · mark · dip · bark · lash · temple

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a trace
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — a grade
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a hint
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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