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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: pop · lie · pitch · spell · shower · land · prune · dip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — magic
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  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