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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: rock · straw · bore · rash · fork · stick · mark · mouse

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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