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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: snap · ball · lean · temple · track · bark · deal · scale

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lean — thin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a song
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. snap — to click
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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