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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — magic
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pass — a permit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. row — a line

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