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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: ball · fall · squash · fan · land · vault · roll · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — the season
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — a country
  23. fall — to drop
  24. roll — a list

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