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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
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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: current · temple · bore · clip · plane · root · wax · deal

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — to cut
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to drill
  9. clip — for paper
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. clip — a video
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. root — the cause
  23. current — electric
  24. root — of a plant

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