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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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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 · kick · row · root · bore · bound · stem · present

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — the cause
  9. present — a gift
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — there
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — the time now
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — certain

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