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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: drill · bark · wind · pit · bay · wave · game · lash

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. drill — army training
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wind — moving air

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