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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 120 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: wound · stand · lie · spell · pitcher · bulb · leaves · rush

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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