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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: file · net · pound · snap · chest · ruler · row · lie

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. file — a document
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a line of people
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — an untruth

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