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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: scale · current · fine · rest · tear · roll · mate · lie

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — electric
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tear — to rip
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. roll — a list
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rest — what's left

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