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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.

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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: rush · pitch · season · snap · content · pass · toast · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. snap — to click
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitch — completely
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — bread
  24. lean — thin

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