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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: scale · bay · snap · deal · temple · cue · saw · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. saw — the tool

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