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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: current · face · pitch · snap · temple · rest · rush · fork

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — electric
  17. pitch — completely
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fork — in a road

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