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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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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: cabinet · temple · spring · leaves · staff · swing · scale · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — soda
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. staff — a stick
  10. scale — size or range
  11. swing — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. scale — in music
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. swing — to play on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — employees
  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