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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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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: leaves · trunk · pound · snap · mark · lie · can · pitch

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a trace
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of a tree

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