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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: rule · can · arm · game · bay · lash · bat · band

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. game — wild animals
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a ring
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. band — a music group
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — government
  24. game — a match

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