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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: bay · cell · lash · rule · hand · pass · capital · ball

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. rule — government
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ball — a great time

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