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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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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: lie · lash · stem · pit · key · pitcher · land · bear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — in music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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