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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.

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: degree · hide · lash · prune · game · leaves · pitcher · lie

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — wild animals
  6. degree — from a university
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — temperature
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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