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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.

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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: pound · wave · date · cue · pitch · lean · lie · chest

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — a signal

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