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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: roll · hide · lie · prune · bulb · craft · present · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — a cake
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. roll — a list
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lie — to recline
  22. present — there
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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