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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 · face · bay · spring · pop · hide · foot · pit

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pop — to visit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. spring — the season
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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