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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. current — electric
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chest — a box
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — a trail

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