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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: rush · key · land · wave · temple · arm · branch · pitcher

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — to come down
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — a division
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wave — with your hand

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