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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 · rock · cabinet · lie · file · deal · mug · toast

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pit — in a race
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. deal — a big deal

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