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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: bore · rest · wake · kick · squash · hand · lie · fork

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — a break

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