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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: rash · straw · saw · charge · lie · pitcher · file · stand

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. file — a document
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a line of people

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