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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
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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: file · current · saw · arm · rest · temple · court · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. current — happening now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. file — a line of people
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — a break
  24. date — on the calendar

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