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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 120 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: bay · lean · sharp · season · pit · lie · court · field

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — a subject
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — for sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — of the year
  18. field — for sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. field — farmland
  21. court — of law
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. court — of a king

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