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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · prune · mug · wake · straw · stand · stock · nail

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cell — a phone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a face
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a cup
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — a trail

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