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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. clip — for paper

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