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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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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: stick · lie · fine · mark · object · sharp · game · season

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — an aim
  3. mark — a trace
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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