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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.

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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: bound · roll · bore · staff · mate · face · row · fork

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a partner
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — a list
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. face — to confront

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