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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: pitch · saw · tear · deal · mug · dip · craft · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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. tear — to rip
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mug — to rob
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — part of the body

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