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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 120 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
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: bank · press · racket · wound · hand · current · key · temple

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — in cards
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hand — help
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — in music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — to push
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. current — electric

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