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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: temple · object · bore · deal · fan · hide · current · row

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — happening now
  12. object — to protest
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — to paddle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — electric
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — to drill

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