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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · rule · current · court · row · fan · swing · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a line
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — of law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. rule — government
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — for sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. drill — army training
  16. current — electric
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — to play on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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