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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: present · stand · bank · bat · fork · last · fan · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — final
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — there
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — to bear
  16. present — a gift
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — to eat with

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