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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · current · branch · sharp · fan · temple · rest · straw

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — to cool the air

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