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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 116 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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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 · wind · cabinet · lie · present · pit · snap · lean

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — there
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitch — completely

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