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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.

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: straw · deal · lie · pitch · dip · can · shower · rash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — to be able to
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — rain
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — completely
  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