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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — in cards
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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