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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: file · wound · pop · present · current · temple · deal · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. object — an aim
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. file — a tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. pop — music
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — soda
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. file — a line of people
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — there
  19. file — a document
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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