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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: fork · branch · root · sharp · snap · mine · bore · bound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bound — tied together
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. root — the cause
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — clever

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