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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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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: lash · deal · chair · wound · charge · nail · pitch · straw

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — electricity
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. deal — to handle
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — a price
  24. chair — to sit on

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