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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: file · cell · stock · court · lean · squash · rush · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. file — a document
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. court — of law
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lean — thin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stock — goods

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