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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: sharp · bound · fork · roll · rash · press · bore · arm

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — to tire
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. bore — to drill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — in a road
  24. roll — on a roll

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