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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · temple · degree · rash · swing · snap · staff · ball

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — an amount
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — a stick
  11. key — for a lock
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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