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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 120 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: spring · lean · pop · bark · rush · temple · bore · current

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — music
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — a coil
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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