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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — thin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — in sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. face — to confront
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — high quality

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