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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 · rule · fan · kid · march · foot · fall · current

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rule — a law
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a list
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. kid — to tease
  22. march — music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. kid — child

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