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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: temple · drill · pitch · roll · lie · toast · wound · sharp

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — a practice
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lie — to recline
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. roll — a list
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lie — an untruth

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