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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 · last · snap · track · press · craft · leaves · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — finally

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