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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
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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: cue · lie · game · shower · wound · file · chest · pitch

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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 — an injury
  2. shower — rain
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — a box
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a document
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a kind of play
  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