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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: bay · cell · lie · track · sharp · deal · stock · spring

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — of water
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stock — shares
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — an untruth

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