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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: rest · snap · pitch · roll · mate · file · bound · cabinet

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — a friend
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a document
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. roll — a list

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