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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · cabinet · file · bound · spell · tube · lie · toast

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a document
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — ministers

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