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

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — of the year
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitch — completely
  15. season — in sport
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. sharp — clever

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