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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: fork · cell · tear · net · kick · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — in a road
  4. net — for catching
  5. tear — to rip
  6. net — after costs
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — in sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — 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