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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 120 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: bark · key · bay · pass · lean · lash · ruler · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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