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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 · bear · row · wake · leaves · racket · cell · stand

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — to bear
  19. row — a line
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in biology
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — for spectators

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