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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: rush · stick · lean · hand · sharp · bowl · lie · spring

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — to bend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — the season
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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