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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: snap · bore · fork · arm · pound · squash · stand · mate

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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