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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: fall · bulb · squash · pitch · scale · face · press · mine

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. scale — size or range
  3. press — a publisher
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — to push
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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