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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: cabinet · stand · lean · nail · file · chest · snap · fall

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. file — a tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chest — of your body
  14. file — a document
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — thin

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