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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: bank · wind · bore · plane · field · row · fork · board

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. field — farmland

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