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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 120 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: band · sharp · current · mark · temple · racket · fan · snap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — a trace
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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