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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a match
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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