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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: sharp · bay · stand · spring · mouse · dip · hand · lie

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — clever

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