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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · season · tear · fall · bay · lie · ball · net

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fall — the season
  8. season — in sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — after costs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. net — for catching
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — in sport

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