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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 120 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: bore · kick · stem · rule · saw · arm · pop · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rule — government
  24. bore — to tire

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