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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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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: lie · bay · cell · jam · march · stock · roll · bear

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — a phone
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — goods
  16. lie — to recline
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. march — music
  24. roll — a cake

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