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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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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 · pit · bulb · mine · pass · snap · last · bore

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — finally
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — to go on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mine — for digging

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