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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · pit · scale · leaves · object · lash · bore · cell

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. land — a country
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — ground
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. cell — in biology
  24. object — a thing

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