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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: roll · stick · scale · dip · rash · temple · bay · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. roll — a cake
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a list
  10. rash — a series
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. temple — a place of worship

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