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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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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 · bound · bark · branch · net · wake · present · current

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. current — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — after costs

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