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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: can · nail · net · roll · fan · fall

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — for catching
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — after costs
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. roll — a list
  18. nail — for a hammer

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