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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.

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: season · bay · wind · cap · tube · sharp · game · nail

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — a container
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — the underground
  15. season — of the year
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. season — in sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wind — to turn a key

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