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

Word bank: snap · race · bore · fork · hide · object

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. object — an aim
  15. bore — to drill
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with

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