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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: band · pit · ball · cell · last · hide · row · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cell — in biology
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a line
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. band — a music group
  9. last — final
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — finally
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a dance

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