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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 116 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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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 · pit · lie · cell · safe · ruler · spell · bear

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ruler — a monarch

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