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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: wound · fall · wave · track · sharp · temple · current · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — electric
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — happening now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — for light

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