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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.

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: object · ball · lie · current · scale · date · file · rest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — to protest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — a break
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a document
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a dance
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  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