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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: fan · roll · hand · fall · track · lash · cabinet · fine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — help
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — the season
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — a list
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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