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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bore — to drill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — to tire
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pit — a hole
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. bore — gave birth

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