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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 · cap · mug · hand · fork · board · sharp · staff

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a cup
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — a face

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