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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: rash · bore · drill · fork · pitch · wave · mouse · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rash — a series
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fork — a garden tool

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