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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 116 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: sharp · rush · bulb · lie · cell · stock · saw · season

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. season — in sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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