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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 116 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: pound · spell · pitch · bore · straw · last · bulb · lie

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. last — finally
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — magic
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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