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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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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: bulb · current · temple · swing · row · band · object · kid

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — a thing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. row — a line
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. swing — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. object — an aim
  18. swing — to play on
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kid — child
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — to tease

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