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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 · pitcher · spell · cap · bore · last · dip · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — finally
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — magic
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. last — to go on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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