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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: lie · bowl · lash · bark · last · cell · pass · bore

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. last — finally
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — final
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bark — of a tree

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