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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: lie · cell · press · mark · bank · bulb · sharp · club

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for golf
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — to push
  23. club — a group
  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