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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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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 · firm · cell · pit · chair · craft

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. firm — a company
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — boats

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