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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
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: hide · chair · foot · season · sharp · mark · snap · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — a measure
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — of the year
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — letters
  23. snap — to click
  24. season — to add flavour

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