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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: band · roll · plane · temple · lie · scale · net · file

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — a list
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. plane — a tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — in music

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