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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 · temple · key · rule · fall · wound · saw · foot

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rule — government
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. key — the most important part
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — a law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — a measure
  24. temple — side of the head

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