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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · fork · ball · bore · rush · ruler · field · fall

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — a subject
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. field — farmland
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  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