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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: squash · cabinet · fork · spring · bore · toast · rush · nail

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fork — in a road
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spring — of water

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