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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: bore · fork · sharp · rest · staff · perch · fall · snap

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — exactly

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