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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · mouse · spring · pass · wound · wake · fall · pitch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. face — part of the head

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