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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: tube · pitcher · season · wound · rock · lie · lean · hide

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — to add flavour

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