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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: suit · rock · wind · squash · roll · row · fine · plane

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. roll — a list
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. squash — to crush
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. squash — the sport
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rock — a stone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — to fit

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