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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: plane · hide · date · cell · sharp · stock · lie · bass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — a phone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — the fish
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bass — low music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cell — in biology

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