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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.

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: squash · can · file · bat · firm · leaves · snap · pit

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. firm — steady
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bat — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. file — a document
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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