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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.

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 · content · foot · net · lash · pit · pitcher · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — after costs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — dry grass

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