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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. object — to protest
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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