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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: pass · temple · current · snap · branch · degree · rush · prune

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — temperature
  23. branch — of a bank
  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