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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 116 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: lash · bay · pop · stand · tear · ball · row · stick

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. row — a line
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pop — soda

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