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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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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: mark · current · snap · cell · deal · toast · temple · rush

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cell — in biology
  14. snap — to click
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — happening now
  22. deal — to handle
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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