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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · kick · bay · stick · tube · ball · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a great time
  9. last — final
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — to go on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — finally
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a dance

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