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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 120 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: drill · pitcher · object · rush · saw · fine · ruler · rock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — an aim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fine — all right

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