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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: bay · hand · cell · suit · sharp · ground · racket · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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 — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — to fit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — clothes
  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