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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: can · mug · fall · roll · rest · wind · field · fine

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — to rob
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — farmland
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. roll — a list
  13. mug — a face
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — for sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. field — a subject

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