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

Word bank: rule · bank · temple · current · field · toast · tear · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — happening now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rule — a law
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — government
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. current — electric
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — a subject

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