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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 116 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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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 · can · mark · bear · straw · deal · pit · mine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — for digging

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