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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
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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: fan · toast · current · lie · fork · temple · bore · rush

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lie — to recline
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — to hurry
  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