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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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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: chest · dip · object · spring · foot · bay · fork · sharp

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — a coil
  6. sharp — clever
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — of water
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — a measure
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chest — of your body

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