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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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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: spell · swing · fork · nail · bore · fall · leaves · file

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. swing — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — to tire
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a document
  21. swing — to play on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — in golf

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