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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — of the year
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — thin
  24. season — to add flavour

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