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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: lash · bass · mug · trunk · cell · firm · fall · pit

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. firm — decided
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — steady
  15. mug — a face
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — a company
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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