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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: lean · rock · fall · bowl · ball · drill · date · spring

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — the season
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — of water
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — to rest against

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