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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: mine · fork · trunk · bore · charge · temple · rush · spring

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fork — in a road
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spring — the season
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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