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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 120 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: fork · bank · last · bore · stem · rock · row · mug

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — final
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — finally
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mug — a face
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — a stone

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