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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.

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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: season · bay · object · lie · sharp · pitcher · foot · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — in sport
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — of the year

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