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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: pitcher · lie · saw · bore · season · foot · file · bay

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — in sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — to tire
  17. file — a document
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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