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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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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 · fall · ruler · roll · track · deal · mine · rush

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. roll — a list
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — the season
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — a path
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. track — a song
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — to handle

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