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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: toast · file · drill · last · mark · capital · lie · snap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — final
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. file — a document
  9. drill — the tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. capital — money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. last — to go on
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — finally
  23. capital — a city
  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