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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: season · land · bank · lie · nail · chip · ball · sharp

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chip — for betting
  5. land — ground
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bank — for money

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