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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: pit · bank · face · file · toast · lie · fall · firm

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — steady
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — to confront
  21. pit — a hole
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — decided

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