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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · branch · row · tube · fall · current · pound · temple

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — the season
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — a weight
  8. board — to get on
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. current — of water
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a tree
  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