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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. last — to go on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. last — final
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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