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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: rock · present · hand · mug · lash · bay · pound · bat

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. present — there
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — to rob

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