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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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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: rule · dip · staff · temple · fall · cold · current · bear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — electric
  6. cold — an illness
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cold — not warm
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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