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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pitch · bat · lie · mouse · straw · swing · wax · rush

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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