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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · hide · scale · rash · pitch · season · tear · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rash — hasty
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. scale — in music
  24. hide — animal skin

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