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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: snap · last · roll · content · cue · current · row · temple

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a cake
  4. last — final
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. content — the amount
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — a signal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. content — happy
  19. current — electric
  20. cue — for pool
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. roll — a list
  24. last — to go on

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