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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: hand · scale · rule · bound · hide · file · temple · pitch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — tied together
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rule — a law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — certain
  24. hand — in cards

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