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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: fan · deal · rock · ground · lie · roll · coach · mouse

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. roll — a list
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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