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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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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: rest · spell · tube · dip · ground · board · current · temple

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — a position
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a committee
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. board — to get on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — the earth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — magic
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ground — crushed

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