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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · season · hide · pitcher · board · lie

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth

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