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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 116 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: lash · cabinet · hand · wound · ball · row · pass · trunk

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — help
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a car

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