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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: temple · roll · wound · cap · mark · swing · hand · bear

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — help
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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