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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: shower · fall · jam · roll · land · face · fan · board

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fall — the season
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. shower — rain
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — to get on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a committee
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. shower — to wash
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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