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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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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: swing · race · wind · scale · face · temple

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — size or range
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. race — humankind
  9. swing — to play on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — a contest
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — part of the head

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