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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: plane · temple · current · row · branch · band · pop · wave

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a music group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — of water
  19. pop — music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. current — electric
  22. pop — soda
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — happening now

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