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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.

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 · bark · cue · prune · degree · lie · wax · lean

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — thin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. prune — to trim

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