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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 116 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: fork · stand · lean · hand · bore · bark · sharp · mate

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — help
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — to rest against

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