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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: temple · nail · net · bat · bore · fork · present · rash

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — after costs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — there
  17. bore — to drill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — for baseball

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