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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.

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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: chair · bowl · bay · lash · sharp · season · spell · tear

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — in sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — a leader
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spell — magic
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — with an edge

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