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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: ball · object · roll · rock · fall · hand · hide · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — music
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. object — an aim
  8. roll — a list
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — a thing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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