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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: swing · track · scale · kick · tear · patient · temple · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — in football
  4. swing — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — in music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — size or range
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — side of the head

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