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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 120 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
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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: ball · shower · suit · face · scale · lean · temple · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. face — part of the head
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a great time

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