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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.

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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 · ruler · temple · lash · lie · nail · race · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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