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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · swing · arm · temple · trunk · ball · bound · bowl

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. swing — in golf
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. swing — to play on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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