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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 120 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: kid · mug · cell · stem · pound · lie · trunk · charge

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — a weight
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — to tease
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — to hit hard

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