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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · temple · root · date · file · prune · current · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. file — a document
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — newspapers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — electric
  15. press — to push
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. date — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. file — a tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a word
  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