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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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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: pop · leaves · date · bore · tear · nail · current · fork

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. current — happening now
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — from crying
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — of water
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — the fruit
  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