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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: spell · chair · chip · mate · track · season · sharp · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chair — a leader
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — clever
  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