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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: rush · trunk · fan · fork · bulb · lie · temple · jam

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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