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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: pitch · rest · mouse · patient · file · spell · face · lie

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — a break
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — a short time

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