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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: pitch · snap · lie · bulb · hand · wave · stand · pop

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. stand — for spectators

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