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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: current · mate · temple · wake · foot · date · wind · bore

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — a trail
  21. current — of water
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. date — on the calendar

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