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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 · rule · mark · tear · rock · date · pass · lash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rule — a law
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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