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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 116 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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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: bay · suit · season · chair · fall · tear · sharp · stick

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — the season
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — of the year
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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