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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · temple · prune · arm · mine · current · track · rock

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — music
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stand — to bear
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

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