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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: straw · object · temple · scale · current · branch · cap · bowl

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a hat
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. object — a thing
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — electric
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — to protest
  22. cap — of ice
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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