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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.

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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: spell · bay · capital · tube · lie · pitch · lean · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — a short time
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — of the year
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — money
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — a container

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