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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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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 · kick · mug · pitch · last · dip · leaves · tear

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. last — final
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tear — from crying

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