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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. net — after costs
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — the animal

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