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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: roll · bowl · suit · cell · wind · snap

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — in cards
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cell — in biology
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to click
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. roll — a list

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