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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · shower · leaves · rock · pitch · stem · lie · mate

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — rain
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stem — to come from
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sports field

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