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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.

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: kid · pitch · lie · season · prune · spell · patient · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — to recline
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — magic
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. spell — letters
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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