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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bound — certain
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bore — to tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — a straw man
  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