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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: firm · saw · temple · bear · last · current · mark · fine

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. firm — a company
  4. current — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — final
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. last — to go on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — finally
  18. fine — all right
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — the animal

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