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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.

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: rest · chest · mine · dip · pitcher · track · lie · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — a break
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — a box
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — to recline

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