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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.

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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: lash · present · stick · pitch · lie · trunk · prune · safe

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — a gift
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — an eyelash

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