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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 · object · rash · chest · nail · cold · pound · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. roll — a list
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rash — a series
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. object — a thing
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — a cake

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