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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: mine · hand · tear · squash · fork · bore · trunk · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — to get on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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