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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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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 · rule · rock · face · mine · cabinet · bore · dip

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — to confront
  6. rock — a stone
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fork — in a road

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