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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: dip · cell · current · branch · temple · snap · safe · sharp

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cell — in biology
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to click
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in a prison

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