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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: fall · tube · temple · current · mouse · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — a container
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — of water
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — electric
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — happening now

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