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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · wound · bear · roll · stem · hand · squash · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. roll — a list
  6. hand — help
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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