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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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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: stand · straw · land · rest · bore · snap · tear · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — ground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. land — to come down
  13. stand — to bear
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. land — a country
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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