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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: mouse · face · pitch · coach · mine · leaves · season · lie

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mine — for digging
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — part of the head
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — in sport

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