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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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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: bore · lash · can · wake · arm · fork · mine · present

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — an eyelash

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