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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 120 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: temple · current · stick · bound · firm · wake · cold · pit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — electric
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — happening now
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — of water
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. firm — steady
  24. temple — a place of worship

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