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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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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: lie · scale · fork · mark · saw · file

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — size or range
  16. file — a document
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — to eat with

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