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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: roll · staff · fall · track · fine · kick · leaves · tube

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fine — high quality
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fine — all right
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a list
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — the underground

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