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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: track · swing · temple · kick · saw · wind · rest · pop

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — music
  4. track — a song
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — in golf
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. kick — in football

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