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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.

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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: pass · spring · cell · mark · lie · spell · lean · stock

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spell — magic
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spell — letters
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stock — a soup base

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