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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: bore · rest · object · present · fall · fork · tube · capital

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — a gift
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — a thing
  11. capital — a city
  12. present — there
  13. fall — the season
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. object — an aim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — gave birth

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