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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: mug · cell · mate · staff · straw · pitcher · mine · wind

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — moving air
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mug — a face
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a friend
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cell — in biology
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a partner
  23. staff — a stick
  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