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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 · fall · coach · can · bore · current · fan

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — of water
  4. roll — a list
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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