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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
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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: plane · temple · prune · mate · bulb · last · mine · current

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — final
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — for digging
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mate — a friend
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — to go on
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — finally

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