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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: lie · spell · prune · saw · bulb · press · cell · sharp

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — clever
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — newspapers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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