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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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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 · arm · pop · rush · current · mark · branch · net

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — soda
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — electric
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — in sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — after costs
  24. mark — a grade

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