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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: temple · track · snap · stick · current · game · march · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. march — the month
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — a match
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — electric
  13. game — wild animals
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. track — a path
  24. current — happening now

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