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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: bulb · rush · fall · bore · deal · swing · hide · hand

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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