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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.

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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: row · deal · ruler · bore · fall · net · band · stand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a music group
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — after costs
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — to handle
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — to drill

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