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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 · object · bore · leaves · mate · bulb · wake · kid

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. object — to protest
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mate — to breed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — a thing
  22. kid — child
  23. mate — a partner
  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