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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 116 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: clip · wind · firm · fork · bore · plane · bulb · wound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. clip — for paper
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. bore — to tire
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. clip — a video
  24. firm — steady

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