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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · bulb · bowl · sharp · cell · hide · mouse · present

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. present — the time now
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — a gift
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. sharp — clever

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