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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · leaves · key · coach · ground · lash · wake

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ground — the earth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ground — a position

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