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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: mouse · cap · bulb · pitcher · stand · lean · cell · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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