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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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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 · leaves · rest · row · key · clip · sharp · bore

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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