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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: lie · mug · wind · present · rash · chair · prune · pitch

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — a series
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — a gift
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — there
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a face

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