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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: band · present · current · face · squash · staff · temple · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to confront
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. present — there
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. present — the time now
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — a stick
  24. band — a ring

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