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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · rash · pit · land · bay · wax · temple

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — a country
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — in a race
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — to come down
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — music

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