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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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Word bank
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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: bark · bay · lash · field · board · pass · mate · dip

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a committee
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — to breed

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