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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: ruler · calf · bore · fall · file · rush · date · dip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to drill
  8. file — a tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — a thrill

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