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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: scale · temple · clip · wake · spring · race · present · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — a coil
  3. scale — size or range
  4. race — the arms race
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — a gift
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — to fit
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — of water
  19. race — a contest
  20. spring — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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