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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: bulb · file · scale · temple · date · nail · squash · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a list
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. file — a tool
  10. date — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. file — a line of people

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