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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 · season · hide · pitcher · board · lie · perch · rest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — a committee
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — what's left

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