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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · rash · snap · bear · tube · lie · pitcher · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — to recline
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — to put up with

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