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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — part of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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