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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: cell · band · dip · mug · spring · bear · mark · pit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spring — the season
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spring — of water
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — a hole

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