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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: lean · rock · saw · fork · land · cap · current · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — happening now
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — of water
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — to come down
  24. bore — to tire

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