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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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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: cold · straw · deal · charge · pitch · fork · face · safe

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — in control
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cold — an illness
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — electricity
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — not warm
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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