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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: pound · fork · cell · pass · straw · mouse · cabinet · race

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — a contest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. race — the arms race
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — in a road

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