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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: scale · bark · fall · face · cabinet · squash · season · pass

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pass — a permit

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