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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: branch · temple · nail · bass · tear · sharp · current · ruler

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. branch — a division
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tear — to rip
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — of water
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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