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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: rush · ball · fork · fall · bore · root · hand · file

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — in a road
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — help
  9. fall — the season
  10. file — a document
  11. hand — in cards
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a word
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a great time

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