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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: pop · lie · sharp · saw · content · game · bay · lean

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — the amount
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lie — an untruth

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