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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: lie · hand · dip · mark · bat · prune · file · snap

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bat — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — to recline
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — in cards

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