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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: face · pit · saw · fork · mate · bore · rule · bank

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — part of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rule — government
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — to point toward

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