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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.

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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: lie · trunk · file · row · suit · snap · pound · stand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a document
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — for spectators

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