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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: sharp · current · temple · fork · press · bore · key · band

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. sharp — clever
  23. band — a music group
  24. fork — a garden tool

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