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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: calf · rush · mine · fall · temple · current · spring · row

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — happening now
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — the season
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — the season
  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