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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: snap · swing · face · temple · object · branch · rock · court

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. snap — to click
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of a king
  11. rock — a stone
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — of law
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — for sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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