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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 · swing · row · rush · band · current · face · can

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. swing — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — in golf
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a ring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. swing — to play on
  16. band — a music group
  17. current — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. face — part of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — a line

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