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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: current · calf · wake · bore · last · wax · temple · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. last — final
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. current — of water
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. current — electric

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