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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: snap · rock · file · pitch · rush · season · lie · cabinet

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to click
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. season — to add flavour

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