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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
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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: bore · deal · rash · file · hand · saw · fork · wake

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. bore — to tire
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hand — help
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — the tool

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