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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 · firm · toast · bat · pit · snap · bowl · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. file — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — decided
  11. file — a document
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a line of people
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bat — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. toast — the most admired

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