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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.

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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: branch · staff · sharp · coach · bark · temple · current · straw

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — a division
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — of a bank

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