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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 116 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: rush · fine · deal · fall · rest · hand

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hand — help
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — all right
  18. deal — a big deal

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