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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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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: stick · bore · kid · charge · rest · fork · hand · kick

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — help
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rest — a break
  20. bore — to drill
  21. charge — a price
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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