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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · spell · pitch · lash · mine · bore · rash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spell — magic
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rash — a series
  13. present — there
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — a short time

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