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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 · rash · can · plane · scale · swing · bat · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. scale — in music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — size or range
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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