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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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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: toast · track · foot · lie · chip · roll · file · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — for betting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — a song
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. roll — a cake
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — a phone
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. file — a tool
  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