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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: roll · current · plane · chair · scale · lie · fork · rush

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. current — of water
  3. roll — a cake
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — electric
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — a list
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — a tool

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