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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.

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: calf · saw · mine · charge · pitch · straw · hide · row

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — in control
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — for digging
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — completely
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — animal skin

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