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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: lie · straw · arm · file · rock · mine · mouse · pitch

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. file — a tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a document
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — a stone

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