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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: capital · bound · bore · fork · rush · spring · suit · rest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — hurry
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — tied together
  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