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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: staff · rest · season · current · tear · track · temple · bulb

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. current — electric
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — a break
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. track — a path
  20. tear — to rip
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — of the year

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