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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.

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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 · saw · cell · bear · stand · mine · pit · board

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — a committee
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — a phone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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