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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rule · sharp · file · mouse · temple · lie · bound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. sharp — clever
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a document
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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