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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · can · clip · bound · fork · bore · temple · bass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. clip — for paper
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. clip — a video
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — to be able to

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