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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: hide · wound · lie · staff · prune · suit · rash · pitcher

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — a stick
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — on the skin

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