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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 · current · present · deal · pit · wound · prune · wake

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — in a race
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — happening now

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