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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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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: ruler · mug · cell · straw · pit · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. 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. pit — in a race
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. 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