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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 · current · temple · bore · can · fork · band · mark

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — electric
  24. can — a tin

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