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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: temple · band · coach · scale · snap · foot · bear · kick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. snap — to click
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  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