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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 · toast · calf · racket · current · fork · wound · rush

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — hurry
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — an injury
  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