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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.

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: lean · craft · bore · hide · land · lash · bat · pit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — a hole
  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