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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 120 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: object · bore · land · pitch · charge · face · straw · saw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — to protest
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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