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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · mine · bore · track · pass · fork · plane · nail

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bore — to tire
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mine — an explosive

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