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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · arm · lash · tube · fall · wave · game

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — wild animals
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — the season
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

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