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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 116 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 · fork · snap · lie · squash · present · season · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. present — a gift
  4. snap — to click
  5. squash — to crush
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — the time now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — there
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — a garden tool

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