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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — a company
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — in sport
  18. cell — in biology
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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