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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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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: rock · cabinet · cold · mouse · fork · fall · object · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fall — the season
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — an aim
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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