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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: pitcher · roll · lash · bear · mouse · band · cell · lie

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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