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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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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: fork · lie · firm · toast · wind · can · file · foot

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a document
  5. toast — bread
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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