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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.

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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: temple · spell · staff · mate · current · shower · face · tear

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — electric
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mate — to breed
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — to rip
  16. current — happening now
  17. spell — a short time
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — part of the head
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — of water
  22. mate — a partner
  23. face — to confront
  24. tear — from crying

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