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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 · bore · charge · squash · row · stem · arm · saw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. row — to paddle
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. row — a line
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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