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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.

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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: lie · saw · pitch · cap · date · straw · net · temple

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — a lid
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. date — on the calendar

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