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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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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: bore · current · clip · temple · saw · rock · season · pop

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — of the year
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — a video
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — music
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. clip — to cut
  22. season — in sport
  23. pop — soda
  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