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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · spell · perch · stick · roll · fall · dip · ball

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — the fish
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spell — a short time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a dance

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