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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 · tear · rest · mine · wound · wake · bay · suit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bay — a horse colour

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