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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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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: lean · cell · mug · kick · firm · fall · pitcher · tear

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — steady
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lean — thin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mug — a face
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tear — from crying

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