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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: fall · rule · row · wave · bowl · scale

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — a line
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — a law
  18. fall — to drop

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