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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: last · bat · current · cold · deal · can · temple · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cold — not warm
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. last — final
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. cold — an illness
  23. last — to go on
  24. can — to be able to

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