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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: present · fall · hide · ground · key · pitch · lie · rush

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — there
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — to hurry

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