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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: temple · saw · wound · bore · dip · stand · content · fork

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fork — in a road
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — to drill
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. content — happy
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — to bear

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