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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: bowl · bound · fall · can · calf · net · mark · wind

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — for catching
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — tied together
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — to drop

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