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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: field · fork · arm · lash · fan · bore · board · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bore — to drill
  3. field — a subject
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — in a road
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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