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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: current · bank · spring · leaves · wax · temple · kid · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. kid — child
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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