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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.

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
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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: rule · mine · temple · current · trunk · row · mate · lean

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — a partner
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. row — a line
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — government
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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