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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — electric
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cell — a phone
  24. row — to paddle

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