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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 116 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: wound · scale · face · snap · kid · lean · pass · club

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — a group
  7. face — to point toward
  8. club — for dancing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pass — a permit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to click
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. club — for golf

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