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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: stand · lie · wound · rock · snap · lean · pitch · saw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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