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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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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: rule · lie · kick · bore · tube · fork · pitcher · wake

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rule — government
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tube — a container
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — with a leg

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