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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.

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: foot · mug · bat · lie · saw · file · cap · drill

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mug — to rob
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a lid
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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