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

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. kick — in football
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cell — a phone
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kick — with a leg

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