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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: stock · cabinet · cap · bear · bulb · sharp · cell · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — in biology
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. cell — a phone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — to put up with

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