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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: game · arm · bay · lash · ball · pass · perch · straw

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — a kind of play

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