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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: temple · swing · mine · chest · kick · firm · mug · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. swing — to play on
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mug — a face
  10. kick — in football
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chest — a box
  14. mine — for digging
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a cup

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