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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a word
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — the cause
  17. track — a song
  18. root — of a plant
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — of water
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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