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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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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: fine · ruler · sharp · deal · rush · bore · fall · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bat — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — to drop

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