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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 124 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: object · pitcher · temple · lean · cell · pit · wake · clip

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — a phone
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. clip — for paper
  23. object — a thing
  24. clip — to cut

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