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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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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: pass · fork · kick · straw · fall · bore · bear · snap

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — in football
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to click
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pass — a permit

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