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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — to confront
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — for a lock
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. season — of the year
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the fish

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