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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · bay · fall · sharp · bear · foot · nail · pop

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pop — soda
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pop — music

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