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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 · stem · rest · cue · sharp · foot · bore · fan

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — a break
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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