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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: season · spell · lean · fall · pitch · mark · tear · can

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitch — completely

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