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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: rash · game · leaves · jam · lean · present · bore · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to drill
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — a match
  12. lean — thin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — there
  15. rash — a series
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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