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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.

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: mug · hand · bear · stick · cell · fine · land · object

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — all right
  14. hand — help
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. land — ground
  18. fine — high quality
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — a country
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — a penalty

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