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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 120 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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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: bay · bound · last · bore · root · fork · fall · leaves

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a word
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fall — the season
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. root — the cause
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — a garden tool

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