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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.

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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: hide · lean · pitch · saw · kick · straw · racket · suit

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kick — in football
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lean — to bend
  24. suit — clothes

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