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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: key · fall · spring · dip · hide · land · pitch · present

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — to come down
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — for a lock
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. present — there
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — completely
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — a country
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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