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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 120 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 · face · rock · last · bore · pit · rule · rest

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — final
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rule — a law
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rest — what's left

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