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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: wind · rash · temple · bore · plane · rush · fan · face

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bore — to drill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — hasty
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

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