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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: lash · cold · cabinet · perch · dip · key · pass · bay

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cold — not warm
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lash — an eyelash

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