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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 120 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: tear · dip · temple · wind · scale · chair

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — a leader
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tear — from crying
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship

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