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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: squash · lie · rash · file · scale · drill · charge · lean

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. scale — in music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — a practice
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. file — a document
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. charge — a price
  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