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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.

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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: present · leaves · pitcher · spell · lean · pit

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — there
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pit — a hole

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