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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: row · cell · land · pit · lash · bore · rash · lie

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cell — a phone
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — a country
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — to come down

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