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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: rest · object · bowl · suit · arm · fine · roll · wind

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — in cards
  9. roll — a cake
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fine — high quality
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. roll — a list
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — a break

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