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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 · file · hand · fall · fork · present · rock · ruler

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. file — a document
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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