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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cell — in biology
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pit — a hole
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a face

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