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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — tied together
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bound — certain

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