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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · object · lash · land · chair · racket · season · sharp

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — of the year
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — a thing
  21. land — ground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — to protest

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