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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
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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: spring · charge · fine · date · bowl · fall · roll · drill

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — the tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — of water
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — in control
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — the season
  20. date — the fruit
  21. roll — a list
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fine — all right

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