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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: wound · prune · stand · fall · pitch · lie · rash · deal

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — to bear
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rash — a series

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