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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: pound · pass · bay · cell · bat · wake · stick · lash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pass — to succeed

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