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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.

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: bowl · bulb · present · lie · plane · sharp · mark · cold

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — there
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cold — an illness
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cold — not warm
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mark — a trace

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