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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: stock · board · bound · cell · lie · season · bay · rest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stock — shares
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rest — a break
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — of the year
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — certain
  24. lie — an untruth

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