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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: bore · spell · pitcher · bowl · temple · current · branch · straw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — electric
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

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