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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
468
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: mine · straw · track · current · rule · wax · mouse · temple

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. current — electric
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — of water
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — happening now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wax — to grow

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