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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 · lean · fall · bat · cap · bass · ball · mouse

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bat — the animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. roll — on a roll
  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