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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pound — a weight
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — a face
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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