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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: temple · branch · kick · perch · content · current · coach · ball

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — a division
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — the amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. content — happy
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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