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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: cell · swing · scale · content · suit · last · snap · hide

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. last — finally
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — final
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. snap — to click
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — to fit

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