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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: file · mug · lie · pitch · kick · vault · bat · object

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — a cup
  9. file — a document
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — to protest
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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