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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
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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: bay · rush · straw · lie · mug · pitch · cap · current

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rush — a thrill

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