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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: net · kid · firm · snap · lie · file · nail · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. net — after costs
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. file — a tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — a company

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