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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 · fall · season · spell · craft · branch · bowl · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. season — of the year
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — a skill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. season — in sport
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — the season

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